When cells are subjected to stress (such as heat, oxidative conditions, viral invasion) one of the ways they protect themselves is by forming cytoplasmic granules called stress granules (SG) where they store RNA. This research project presents studies of the RNA/DNA binding proteins, TIA-1 (T-cell restricted intracellular antigen-1) and HuR (Human antigen R) that bind to and escort RNA to SG. Dr. Saboora Waris has investigated how these proteins move between compartments in cells and how they act together to bind the RNA. Overall, understanding of SG biology could facilitate the development of therapeutic intervention against pathological SG formation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Biography

Dr. Saboora Waris’s research interests in general, include understanding the role of RNA binding proteins and translational regulation in disease processes. In 2017, her work was been published in the international journal of molecular sciences, Nucleic Acids and Cell Reports. She received several awards and honours which included Monash graduate scholarship (MGS), Monash international postgraduate research scholarship (MIPRS) and Young Investigator Travel Award given by American Protein Society in 2016. She is currently serving as an Assistant Professor, Visiting Faculty at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.